Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Chickpea Casarecce

Description

During the cooler winter months, fresh basil can be expensive. I like to swap most of the basil for hearty, winter greens and vegetables like in this broccoli pesto.

Ingredients

Pesto

2 cups broccoli florets

⅓ cup grated veg-friendly parmesan

¼ cup fresh basil

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Water, for thinning

Pasta

1 box Barilla Chickpea Casarecce

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced

Grated parmesan, for serving

Instructions

To make the pesto, blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to an ice bath. From there, place the broccoli in a food processor or blender along with the parmesan, basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Pulse/puree until smooth; adding water as needed to thin the sauce for blending.

To make the pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chickpea casarecce and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.

To the pot you cooked the pasta in, add the heavy cream and the pesto. Stir to combine and cook over low heat until the sauce is hot. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat; adding a splash of the pasta water as needed to thin the sauce enough to coat the noodles. Fold in the sun-dried tomatoes and serve with grated parmesan and julienned basil if desired.